Friday letters: Growing doctors for rural areas

A Texas A& International University graduate waves to the crowd during the TAMIU Commencement Ceremony on May 18, 2018 at the Laredo Energy Arena.

Photo: Danny Zaragoza, Staff Photographer / Laredo Morning Times

More doctors

Regarding “Planned SHSU med school aims to increase rural Texas doctors” (Front page, Wednesday): There has long been a shortage of physicians, especially in the area of primary care, practicing in rural areas of Texas. Despite the proliferation of medical schools ( 13 in Texas) and locating some near rural areas (Texas Tech Health Sciences Center School of Medicine in Lubbock, Texas A&M University Health Science Center in College Station, and UT Rio Grande Valley School of Medicine in Harlingen/McAllen/Edinburg) this disparity has persisted.

The cost for a medical degree can exceed $200,000, and pay during residency training is marginal. After completing training, physicians want to practice in urban areas, where compensation to offset the cost of education is greatest and opportunities for a high standard of living are maximal.

One solution to this problem could be increasing federal, state and local grants to medical students and residency trainees who, in return, would be required to practice two years in a rural area. Grants for those focusing on primary care should be especially generous. This would encourage more medical students choosing primary care and electing to stay in areas where they have planted roots. This approach may be less expensive than building and funding more medical schools and deserves further study.

Philip L Cimo, Houston

Tax reality

Regarding “Council adopts small property tax increase” (City/State, Thursday): Hats off to the Houston City Council for passing, overwhelmingly, a small property tax increase.

Years ago, I helped pass the first property-tax-rate rollback. I said at the time that we could afford a rollback but, if circumstances changed in the future, the tax rate should be raised.

Circumstances definitely changed for the worse, but politics prevented the acceptance of reality, and nothing was done to adjust the tax rate upward. Now almost all council members appear to be accepting reality and should be applauded for doing so. The city needs the money, and it will cost individual taxpayers very little.